The present invention relates generally to techniques for unregistering and transferring software licensees, and in particular, to techniques for unregistering and transferring software licenses from one hardware device to another hardware device. For purposes of the present invention, software is understood to mean all programs, and data that can be licensed on the basis of individual devices, PDAs, telephones, computers or any device that can be used with licensable software or data elements.
Automatic licensing of a given identified computer or digital device (PDA, Cell Phone, Tablet) is now common with most systems. Automatic licenses can be used to control the use of software applications. An example of such an automated system is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/877,727, to Victor Kley, filed Jun. 8, 2001, entitled “Scalable Transaction System for a Network Environment,” which is incorporated herein by reference.
Users frequently want to upgrade their computer hardware after a licensed copy of a software product has been stored on the hardware. For example, a customer can send out a digital device for repairs or replace it with a newer more powerful digital device. Recent reports have shown that many customers have problems maintaining and upgrading hardware without losing their licenses to software stored on the hardware. Software customers often lose their investment of resources and money into a licensed software product when old computer hardware is discarded or no longer used.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide techniques that allow a user to easily unregister and transfer a license for software from one computer hardware device to another device.